David Hanlon Character Leaders Foundation
About
The David Hanlon Character Leaders Foundation (DHCLF) is a dedicated non-profit scholarship foundation committed to offering scholarships to Vista High School Seniors in the Character Leaders program. DHCLF provides scholarships to students who have provided outstanding service within their communities.
Mission
At the David Hanlon Character Leaders Foundation, our purpose is to support the next generation of Vista High School Character Leaders enrolled in the Character Leaders Program through financial support for student college scholarships. These scholarships help provide access to costly higher education in order to create opportunities for these students to fulfill their academic and service related goals and reach their full potential as future leaders in their communities.
Story
In 2021, Class of 2013 Vista High Character Leader Alumnus Sarah Casey, became a first-year “big law” associate in Silicon Valley. She wanted to celebrate this milestone by buying an expensive purse she'd wanted since college. However, while on hold with a sales associate to purchase the purse, something didn’t feel right to Sarah. In a moment of reflection, Sarah realized her success was built on those who supported her along the way and the generosity of strangers whom she would never know that provided essential college scholarships to her.
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Instead of putting her money toward the purse she had always wanted, Sarah and her family instead decided to start this scholarship. With the help of David Hanlon, the humble teacher of the Character Leaders Program at Vista High, they were able to begin providing scholarships to Character Leader students who demonstrate exceptional principles of good character and give back to their communities.
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Over the years, the scholarship has grown with the assistance of fellow board members Matt Rota and AJ Bartleet and their families. The Casey Family Character Leaders Scholarship was then transformed into the David Hanlon Character Leaders Foundation (“DHCLF”) to honor the ongoing work of Mr. Hanlon and recognize the achievements of his Character Leaders students.
“Character counts, everywhere and all the time.”